Method of packing foodstuffs



Feb. 20, 1940.` w. DEBACK METHOD 0F PACKING FOODSTUFFS Original Filed Jan. 26. 1937 isi INVENTOR Patented Feb. 20, 1940 PATENT Fri antes@ "Mc'rnon or PACKING FoonsrUFFs 2 William` de Back, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assigner to Chisholm-Ryder `Compamf, incorporated, `lNTiagara Falls, N. `Y., a corporation of New York Original application `lanuary 26, 1937, Serial Divided and this application April 10,1939, Serial No. 157,205`

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of packing focdstuis and more particularly to a methodof packing elongated tapered food articles, such as corn on the cob or carrots, into cans. This ap- 5 plication is a `division of my coi-pending application for Patent Serial No.` 150,579, ledJanuary l the tapers running in one direction andthe other half with the tapersfrunning in the opposite direction and then adjusting the articles so that the maximum fill is obtainedin the mold, the ends of the articles projecting from theA mold being subsequently severed by'trimming knives and the contents of the mold beingthen transferred into a can.

Another object of the invention `is to provide such a process which can be carried out quickly and expeditiously and with apparatus in which the molds can be quickly `lled and the articles adjusted to secure the maximum fill, the remaining operations being effected automatically.

Another object is to provide such a `process in which the operation of lling the molds and adjusting the tapered articles in the molds can be effected while the molds are traveling along a feeding station, the process being thereby adapted to` a continuous can filling operation. In the accompanying drawing:

i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through an apparatus `for packing foodstuffs suitable for usein carrying out my process. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing, diagrammatically, the manner in which the contents of the molds are transferred into cans after the ends of the articles have been cut to the proper length. l

i The figures illustrate that portion of a packing apparatus necessary to show the steps of the present invention, a complete disclosure of this apparatus being contained in my said co-pending application Ser. No. 15ll,579of which the present application is a division, reference being made thereto for a detaileddisclosure of this apparatus. The apparatus is shown as comprising a u bed 5 which is traversed by an endless'chain 6,

this chain carrying a plurality of spaced twopart, open ended molds 1.

Each of the two-part molds l comprises a semicylindricalpart 8 which is secured to the chain 6 by a pair of ears il, which ears `form part of the 5 chain linkage, and a relatively movable semicylindrical section lll which is pivotally secured at one edge to the corresponding edge of the section B bya pivot pin il, the sections 3 and lll being thereby hinged and capable of beinglo opened and closed in the manner of a clam shell. r"he opening movement of the section lll relative to the section 3 is limited by the engagement of a lug t2 projecting outwardly from the back of the section 8 adjacent the hinge Il` with` asim- 15 ilar lug itl vprojecting outwardly from the back of thesection Il). The section lll is normally held in its open position by a C-shaped spring l lt, the `backof which passes around the hinged# connection between the two sections and the 20` ends of whichcan be secured to `the sections ll and it inan-y suitable manner. rhe section lll of each of the molds is also formed to provide two pairs of outwardly projecting ears i5, the forward pair of ears carrying 25 a roller l and the rearmost pair of ears carrying a roller I l.A These rollers It and Il cooperate with a stationary track to close the molds in y.

a certain order, as hereinafter described, these rollers being `released. following the transferof 30 the molded contents from each mold into the cans to be filled, the springs thereupon opening the mold sections so as to permit the ready insertion, by hand, of the articles to be packed.

` While traversing the bed 5 the molds are held 35` in an expanded condition by the springs lll, this readily permitting the insertion ofthe corncobs or carrots into the open ends of the molds. The packing of corn on the cob is illustrated, and in so packing corn on the ccb an operator on 40 one` side of the vbed 5 first places half the number of ears to belpacked in the bottom of each mold l. 1n the illustration it 'is assumed that the cans receive four ears and therefore the first operator places two ears I8 in each mold cavity. 45 These ears are inserted tip rst from one end of `each mold as illustrated at the right of Fig. 2. `The half filled mold then moves on to the next operator atthe opposite side of the machine, who

inserts the other two ears 19, tip first,from 4the 50 l opposite side of the mold. This operator then adjusts the ears so that the mold cavity is lled direction from the lower two ears i3 and hence vthe chain t and the procession of molds carried the ears canbe adjustedaxiallyeither as a group or individually to secure the maximum amount of kernels in the mold cavity.

After the molds pass the filling station the roller H5 of each mold strikes the opposing face 26 of a U-shaped bracket 2! which is mounted to straddle thereby. This engagement causes each movable mold section lll to be swung rearwardly toward the corresponding mold section 8 and as the for- Ward movement of the` chain continues the roller E6 rides onto a cam face 22 provided on the underside of the bracket 2l. This cam face 22 eiTects -rthe final closing movement of each mold passing tents compressed.

Aopen lower ends of theA chute.

AWhile so held in a closed condition by the track t5, the molds pass two pairs of rotary knives e and 2?.

These knives are suitably guarded by a casing 28 and are both mounted on a shaft 29 so as'to be rotated at high speeds. As the molds pass between the knives 25, 21, theends of the cobs projecting lfrom vthe open ends of the molds are cut on, these cuttings falling into a pair of chutes 30, ATsi from which they can be discharged into any sort of a receptacle placed under the It will be seen that ythe articles contained bythe molds are all cut to a length determined by thespacing of the knives 26 and 21, this being, of course, deter- .mined by the size of the cans which are being articles into cans 35 which are'brought into position-on the side ofI each mold opposite the plungers 34 in any suitable manner.

It'will be seen that by placing the ears ofcorn in the molds in such manner that half of the ears taper in one direction and the other half taper in the opposite direction, the maximum ll can be obtained and also the ears manoeuvered so that`the most desirable kerneled portion of each ear is packed Vin the can. f

I claim as my invention:

1. The'method' of packing elongated tapered articles in' cans which consists in arranging a part of said articles with their tapers running in one direction, arranging the balance of said articles alongside said liirst part with their tapers running in the opposite direction and molding all of said articles to a bunch of predetermined cross sectional form, adjusting the articles lengthwise relative to one another to obtain the maximum ll Within a predetermined molding space, cnte ting off the ends of the articles projecting be,u yond vsaid molding space and transferringthe cut articles from said molding space to a can of similar proportions.

2. The method of packing `elongated tapered articles in cans Which'consists ininserting approximately half-of the articles lengthwise into an open ended elongated mold and with their tapers running in one'direction, inserting the balance of the articles tip rst into said mold with their tapers running in the opposite direction, adjusting said articles-lengthwise relative to one another to obtain the maximum ll within said mold, contracting the Walls of said mold to firmly hold the adjusted articles therein, cutting 01T the ends of said articles projecting out from said mold and rtransferring the cut articles from said mold into a can of similar proportions.

` WILLIAM. DE BACK.. 

